Smoke in the Wake
by A Vague Shape In The Dark
Summary: Aurora searches for Mulan while on a desolate shoreline. Written during season 2.


Hearing a sound reminiscent of the sigh of shattered glass, Aurora turned her slippered foot sideways to see beneath it the disintegrated remains of what had once been a majestic spiral shell. Through ruined, it had thankfully been free of life. Hesitatingly, she moved her eyes from the unintentional destruction and, feeling a sudden wave of loneliness, searched the distant shoreline for Mulan. Seconds passed, and when Mulan could not be seen, Aurora decided to go in search of her. Allowing her dampened slippers to fall from her feet; bare toes sinking into the thick, wet sand, she continued watching the roaring waves and the overcast sky with its own sea of darkened clouds flying overhead, as if possessed by magic.

As melancholia began to stifle her she removed her gaze from the surroundings, and in doing so heard an eerie sound issue from somewhere beyond the water. Lonely and terrible, a creature cried as if it was a soul begging her to find it's lost body beneath the waves. Choosing to ignore the cry before it took hold of her, she hastened from the beach, and, in passing a mound of rocks, found the warrior in a pool of shade sharpening a knife.

"What are you doing hiding all the way over here?" Aurora asked, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

"I am not hiding. I was under the impression you were readying yourself to bathe."

"You never stated that we would stay long enough for me to do so."

"Do as you wish."

"So I shall," Aurora replied, shifting weight from one foot to the other, her mood more upbeat after finding Mulan, though, she dreaded the thought of sinking into the dark tides. "You should do the same."

"That is not necessary."

"You should take advantage of the water."

Mulan looked down. "Fine," she whispered, leaning back and placing her knife back in its shaft, "I will. Later."

"Good."

"Princess," Mulan, feeling awkward, started another subject, "I found an ideal spot for our camp tonight. There is a small cave at the base of the cliff side." She pointed to an area within a few yards, then looked to where once the Princess had stood but found no one. Aurora had apparently joined the murky depths. With a heaviness in her chest, Mulan withdrew her gaze from the location in which Aurora had disappeared, focusing instead on a fragile twig laced between her fingers.

Silence enveloped the area, save for the random cries of birds and lapping water. Mulan was lulled into a hazy state of mind. Being near sleep, it was all the more shocking for her to suddenly feel an icy hand touch the side of her face. Jumping as she turned, she found Aurora, who, dressed in only a white shift, smiled back at her. "Come on, the water is lovely. I tested it with my hand."

"No. I told you I would bathe after-"

"Oh come on."

"But I need to-"

"No excuses. Where better to stand guard than by my side?"

Mulan sighed, not wanting to argue, and raised to her feet. She looked to Aurora but didn't voice her thoughts. She couldn't. Her mind was filled with the image of Aurora as she walked; her loose hair flying wildly about her face and shoulders, catching in the corners of her eyes and mouth. The cloth of her underdress caught the wind, making it ripple like a flag, molding the fabric tightly to her body from the waist down. Mulan swallowed, feeling her throat catch.

Waiting for her protector to remove her armor, Aurora lowered herself to the ground and dug her feet into the heavy sand, feeling it cool her weary feet. She didn't want to tell Mulan that she was too afraid to go in the water by herself. She couldn't bear the thought of receiving ridicule even if it was warranted.

Mulan, feeling foolish, turned towards the Princess and was shocked to see that she was watching her as she cast aside her armor. She steadied her hands and prevented herself from removing another article before haltingly shouting that she would keep watch on Aurora from afar.

Seconds that felt like minutes passed and from her bed of sand, Aurora, after thinking for a considerable length, raised to meet Mulan. The warrior stood without armor, her hair as free as it was the first time Aurora set eyes on her. She looked strange being so defenseless. Fear taking flight, Aurora leaned forward and softly kissed her cheek. When Mulan did not fight back, Aurora placed further kisses along the edge of her jaw and neck, quickly and purely until she could stand it no longer and kissed her lips.


End file.
